Alarming accounts of growing repression at the hands of the government of Pakistan, targeting political opposition figures, independent journalists, and the blocking of free and fair elections in Pakistan were the focuses of a bipartisan congressional hearing chaired Tuesday by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

     “Life in Pakistan today is marked by rampant government violations of basic freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and media freedom, and the denial of free and fair elections,” Rep. Smith said. “Pakistan is a country of over 250 million people—the fifth-largest country in the world—so the human cost of this repression is immense in its scope as well its severity. In recent years the government’s human rights record has taken a sharp turn for the worse. And this is closely connected to conflict between, on one side, Pakistan’s military-political establishment, and, on the other, former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the political party he led, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). As Prime Minister from 2018-2022, Khan became a fierce critic of Pakistan’s military, its political establishment, and public corruption.”

      Smith noted Khan became genuinely popular. But in 2022 he was ousted as Prime Minister, in a move that was widely seen as a political coup orchestrated by the military.  Since Khan’s ouster, he has been imprisoned, many of his supporters have also been imprisoned, and Pakistan’s political life has been dominated by the government’s clamp down on the PTI. The oppression does not stop there.

      “There are other grave violations of human rights—less connected to party politics—including the harassment and persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Sikhs,” Smith said. “Since 2018 the U.S. State Department has designated Pakistan a Country of Particular Concern, meaning the government is responsible for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom"—systematic, ongoing, egregious violations. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, “Pakistani government’s systematic enforcement of blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws severely restricts freedom of religion or belief for all citizens. Authorities’ failure to address mob violence associated with blasphemy accusations, as well as forced conversions of religious minorities—including Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs—to Islam, reinforces a climate of intolerance and fear.” Click here to read Smith’s opening remarks. Click here to watch the hearing.

     Witnesses discussed the government of Pakistan’s ongoing political repression, the U.S. response, and offered recommendations for Congress. At the hearing, “Pakistan: Ongoing Political Repression,” Smith, and other members of the Lantos Commission, gave witnesses the forum to speak openly about the abuses:

Zulfi Bukhari, Advisor to former Prime Minister Khan on international and media affairs told the congressional panel that Pakistan is now “a country rapidly descending into political repression, judicial manipulation, and systematic human rights violations. Pakistan stands at the precipice of losing its democratic soul.” He said, “Freedom of speech in Pakistan is similarly under siege. Independent journalists have been harassed, abducted, tortured, or forced either into exile or into silence. Many have resigned or been removed from their positions under immense pressure. Internet shutdowns and social media bans have become routine instruments of state repression, wielded to choke dissent and suppress alternative narratives.” Click here to read Bukari’s statement.

Jared Genser, international counsel to Khan, testified the former Prime Minister’s case: exemplifies the alarming erosion of democratic institutions, rule of law, and civil liberties under Pakistan’s current regime. He said that “Since Imran Khan was removed from power in April 2022, Pakistan’s human rights landscape has deteriorated markedly, as the military-backed authorities use a range of repressive measures to consolidate power and suppress dissent. Democratic institutions have been systematically undermined – the military wields significant influence over governance and the Pakistani regime has intensified its crackdown on political opposition through mass arrests, excessive force, and the misuse of broad counterterrorism and other overbroad public-order statutes. It has been reported that more than 4,000 arrests were made following protests sparked by Khan’s detention. Some 104 civilians were convicted by military courts for their involvement in the May 9, 2023, protests and some 85 of them are still behind bars.” Click here to read Genser’s statement.

Sadiq Amini, founder of the Afghanistan Impact Network, said Pakistan “is not a democracy, but a military dictatorship masquerading as one” riddled with ongoing political repression, systematic human rights abuses, and the two faced dealings with the U.S. “Pakistan's democratic facade crumbled long ago, revealing the entrenched power of its military establishment, as we have witnessed repeated military coups, and military dictatorships. Pakistan's military dictators, and its pro-Taliban political leaders have effectively taken the nation's 250 million people hostage,” He called on U.S. policy to treat Pakistan as State Sponsor of Terror, including pushing Pakistani leaders to: cut off all ties with the Taliban; : sever all military, financial, and political support for this terrorist organization; stop mistreating and forcing Afghans refugees to return to Afghanistan; support the anti-Taliban Afghans: eliminate all Russian and Chinese agents who are closely working with terrorists and undermining democratic principles, and; hold a genuinely free and fair elections conducted under international observers to ensure legitimacy.” Click here to read Amini’s statement.

Ben Linden, Advocacy Director, Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International, testified that legal and physical attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan are widespread: “These human rights violations contribute to the erosion of rule of law for all Pakistanis, creating an environment hostile to all dissent.” He continued that “Pakistan’s vaguely-worded blasphemy laws are increasingly being weaponized by majoritarian religious groups, while the accused have few means to defend themselves. In 2024 alone, 344 new cases were opened following blasphemy allegations. This caused widespread harassment and intimidation against religious minorities, though most cases were against the recognized Muslim community. Ten of those accused of blasphemy last year were extra-judicially killed.” Click here to read Linden’s statement.

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Contact: Jeff Sagnip:

(202) 225-3765